1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of communication systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a client terminal that provides for displaying ranked program listings in a program guide based upon a selected rating source.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Video program providers, such as cable and satellite networks, offer tiered levels of service to a user. These tiered levels of service include many different channels, offering a variety of television programs and movie to users. Typically, there are basic tiers, expanded basic tiers, and premium tiers. The basic tier level of service usually includes “must carry” and retransmission channels known as broadcast network channels, e.g., ABC, NBC, CBS, etc. The expanded basic tier includes the basic tier channels and an aggregation of cable or satellite channels, e.g., USA, FOX, TNT, MTV, VH1, etc. Video program providers also offer a variety of premium tiers, in addition to the basic tier or the expanded basic tier, that include “premium channels,” such as HOME BOX OFFICE (HBO), SHOWTIME (SHO), CINEMAX (CMAX), STARZ, ENCORE (ENC) etc. Premium channels typically offer video programming that is not available from the basic tier channels and the expanded basic tier channels, such as newly released movies.
Typically, the channels are listed in an on-screen program guide on the user's display device (e.g. a television set). On-screen program guides usually display a listing of channels, typically in numerical order (based on the channel position and the channel call sign of the video transmission system), and the titles of the programs being broadcasted or to be broadcasted on the channels. These on-screen program guides typically show the user the list of channels and corresponding programs in a fixed grid format for an interval of time displayed in a horizontal direction across the screen. The program guide usually scrolls automatically in a vertical direction in an analog environment. In a digital environment, in which a client terminal or a set-top box is utilized, the user has the ability to provide feedback to the client terminal or set-top box to cause associated software to perform various actions in the presentation of the program guide. For example, in the digital environment, the program guide can be manually scrolled (vertically and horizontally) via user input. Furthermore, the viewer has the ability to alter the time period or slot for which the listings are being presented and also has the ability to alter the listing format such that the listings can be sorted by channel, subject, actor, and many other variables.
Presently, many people spend time watching program content reviewers such as television and movie critics (e.g. Ebert & Roeper) who rate movies and television programs. Alternatively, many people read movie and television reviews in newspapers and printed television guides. Oftentimes, people base what programs they view solely on the judgment of one or more favorite reviewers. Thus, many people select a particular rating source upon which to base their program selections. Unfortunately, presently, there is no way to integrate a particular rating source, such as a critic's review of programs (e.g. television and movies), with today's programming guides.
There is, therefore, the need to provide techniques to present programs in a program guide that are ranked and ordered based upon a selected rating source, such as the recommendations of a critic.